Compromising Positions
by Laurie-ky
Summary: The Sentinel: Blair's flexible; Jim's strong. Maybe they'd like to try what the other one enjoys doing.


**Fandom: **The Sentinel

**Title:** Compromising... Positions

**Type:** Gen (but there is subtext, if you want to read it that way)

**Rating:K+**

**Characters: **Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg

**Story Notes: **Beta'ed by T. Verano. Written for the Sentinel Thursday Challenge: No pain, no gain.

**Summary**: Blair's flexible; Jim's strong. Maybe they'd like to try what the other one enjoys doing.

**Compromising… Positions**

"Now what the hell do you call that, Sandburg? And why the hell would you want to do it?"

"I call it Sirshasana, and I do it to improve the clarity and alertness of my mind."

"So imitating a pretzel by having your head on the floor, your ass up in the air, with your legs bent behind you, will make you think straight? And you make a nice target, if somebody wanted to…"

Jim made a swatting motion with his hand.

Blair didn't deign to answer Jim's remark; instead he let his body sink down from the modified headstand he had been doing, folding his legs under him and curling into a resting position. He remained that way for a minute, then gracefully unfolded himself and got to his feet. He bent over till his head was past his knees, with his hands clasped together behind his lower thighs.

"Sandburg, do you know you're _again _pointing your ass at me, doing 'Whatever You Call That' position?"

For an answer, Blair slid his right hand up to his hip and pulled down the cut off sweatpants he was wearing, mooning Jim.

Jim couldn't help himself, not with that round butt in front of his eyes.

He cracked up, laughing at his 'alternative lifestyle choices' partner.

"This Yoga position is called Padahastasana."

"Looks like a kind of leg clasp to me."

"Or you could call it a leg clasp."

Blair straightened his body, pulled up his exercise shorts and did a few more Yoga Stretches; while, Jim watched, grinning still from Sandburg's smart-ass action. He decided to yank Sandburg's chain a little; it was such fun to get the guy riled up.

"Chief?"

"Jim."

"Doing Yoga, how can that possibly be better for you than a good hard exercise session at the gym?"

Blair stopped what he was doing and gave Jim a long look. A long, knowing kind of look. The kind of look that said, 'I see your bet and raise it, sucker.' Jim gazed back, trying for an 'interested in a sort of academic way' expression, but he had his doubts about Blair buying it.

"Well, Jim, I'll spare you the long lecture about all the healthy benefits of daily Yoga for the body and just go for a one word answer."

"Lay it on me, my little guru."

"Flexibility."

"Chief, flexibility is all very well and good if you want to touch your toes, but it just doesn't compare with the strength you build in your body from weight training. A few stretches are good, just to get ready for the main event, like your lifting and pumping routine, but it shouldn't take the place of it."

"Jim… Jim, always in a hurry to get where you're going and not enjoying the _process_ of getting there. When I do Yoga, it's at a slow pace that builds up until I'm doing positions that take my body to a whole 'nother realm. I can bend my legs into poses that a muscle-bound jerker could never do. Doing these positions makes any stress I have just melt away. My whole body is singing when I do Yoga, it feels that good. And the flexibility helps my body deal with all the times it's forced into an unnatural posture; like when I'm sitting at your desk, Jim."

"Chief, you don't know what you're missing out on by not jerking weights. Push your body, work up a sweat, and you know you're doing it right. You can feel yourself getting stronger as the muscle tissues rip and rebuild when you flex and hold. Sure, there's a burn that's comes with it, but you learn to like it 'cause the feeling that follows it feels great. Exercising that hard -- you'll get an endorphin surge releasing and flooding through your body. It's your payoff, like the runner's high, ya know."

"So you're saying, 'No Pain, No Gain'; but I'm saying, 'Gain with No Pain.'"

"Some people like to feel that pain, Chief. How will you know if you do or don't like it, if you won't try it?"

"And maybe you could try being kind to your body, treating it with the reverence it deserves, by doing some of the deep breathing and stretching exercises with me to limber you up."

"Would you come with me to the gym and let me set you up to do some weights? I'll be right there to spot you, so don't worry about not knowing what to do."

Jim looked at Blair hopefully when he made his request. He'd achieved his teasing goal when he'd gotten Blair to sing the praises of doing Yoga. He hadn't expected to get so passionate himself about doing weightlifting with the kid, but it would be a good thing for them to do together. Showing Blair some routines that would make his arm and chest muscles build up – now that, he would look forward to doing; and he flexed his own arm muscles at the thought. Yeah, this would be fun. Now to snare his little pigeon…

"How about a deal? We do Yoga here in the loft where it's more private, and you'll come with me to the gym; won't cost you anything, either. It'll be good to have a partner to train with; I'm usually alone when I go to the gym. And by the way, how come I never saw you doing Yoga here before I walked in the door today?"

"Usually I do Yoga with casual friends or even strangers at the Yoga Room at Rainier, or by myself in my room. I'm enjoying doing it here in the living room, though, and uh… I thought maybe it was time to show you some of the things I like to do. So, you've got a deal, Big Guy. I'll commit to learning weight lifting and feeling that burn you like so much, and you'll let me teach you some beneficial Yoga moves. They'll be slow movements, no wham bam to it, but you'll like how it makes you feel, I guarantee it." Blair started moving towards his room, but Jim snagged him and made a show of poking at Blair's upper arm. Clowning, Blair bunched up his arm muscle for Jim to feel. Then looking up at his friend and grinning at him, he asked --

"Say, Jim, how about we seal the deal by going down to the park for a little B-ball?"

Jim dropped Blair's arm, moving his own arms into a guarding position in front of Blair's bedroom curtain door, smirking as Blair feinted to the left and then whirled around, elbowing Jim to get past him and into his room.

"You're on, Sandburg; I could do with a little one on one action."

The End


End file.
